Pok Chi Lau’s Empty series is a secondary creation based on his previously photographed images of Buddhist statues. The works are highly abstract—at times resembling traditional Chinese ink painting—presenting a stark contrast to the documentary photography for which Pok Chi Lau is best known.

The title Empty derives from the Five Great Elements in Indian philosophy—Wind, Fire, Water, Earth, and Emptiness. Unlike his past works on the Chinese diaspora, Empty stands out with its strikingly abstract style, sharply diverging from Lau’s established realist approach.

According to Lau, the “Five Great Elements” also embody his attitude toward life: “Fire” is energy, passion, and the perseverance to see something through; “Water” can push, can gather; “Earth” represents stability; “Wind” is freedom; and “Emptiness” is letting go. In the process of transforming Buddhist statues from the “figurative” to the “abstract,” he also turns inward, tracing a journey from “form,” to “emptiness,” to metamorphosis.

For over fifty years, Lau has dedicated himself to tracking and documenting the culture of the Chinese diaspora through images. He has not only recorded the struggles and joys of countless Chinese who ventured overseas in search of livelihood, but also conducted in-depth fieldwork: visiting historical sites, collecting archival materials, and recording oral histories. Most often, however, he visited the homes and workplaces of his subjects—spaces rich with stories beyond the frame.

The moments he captures are charged with palpable tension, often brimming with unspoken hardship. His subjects, almost oblivious to the camera, reflect the deep trust he earned by immersing himself in their lives—often becoming like one of them. This intimacy also exposed him to joys and sorrows far beyond his own personal fate. Even as he tried to help when they faced hardship, the suffering of humanity is not something a lone “photographer” can resolve. These experiences left their mark on his heart, and it is precisely this unspeakable sense of “unsettled sorrow” that lends Empty its unique resonance.

In this series, Lau employs photography to create works imbued with the aesthetics of Chinese ink painting. He attenuates and dissolves the concrete forms of the Buddhist statues, returning them to their most essential elements—a journey from complexity to simplicity. Such a creative approach is filled with unpredictable changes and irreversible risks. While Lau’s rich inner world and consummate technical skill shape the work, the final outcome is ultimately left to fate.

In the process of erasing figurative forms in Empty, Lau may also be healing some of the unresolved griefs from the real world—those “unsettled sorrows” he could not soothe while documenting the lives of the Chinese diaspora.

This exhibition presents not only Empty but also portraits of overseas Chinese communities in the United States, Canada, Cuba, and Vietnam. Notably, recent works from Africa and Vietnam will also be on display, allowing audiences to engage directly with Lau’s latest explorations.